As Thursday 27 September marked World Tourism Day, Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen was thrilled to be able to share the news that Malaysia was now sitting at number nine in the list of the top ten most visited countries in the world.
Despite the global crisis forcing many to think more carefully about luxuries like holidays, the tourists continue to flock southeast-ward to Malaysia, and the first six months of this year recorded a phenomenal 11,632,483 tourists to the country, which represented a 2.4% increase compared the same period last year.
As tourist numbers rise, so does the income, and with 2011 bringing in RM58.3 billion in receipts and the 2012 target set at RM60 billion, it seems tourist dollars will continue to be a major source of income for the country.
To keep standards up and ensure the visitors keep visiting, the Tourism Ministry has a Malaysia Tourism Transformation Plan in place, which will see new ventures started to continue to promote the country. One such venture is the Cuti-Cuti 1Malaysia Bike Ride packages, which offer tourists a unique chance to see an area of the country from the seat of a saddle, staying with locals along the way and travelling past handicraft stores and points of interest.
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